GORGEOUS GLAMORGANS

If there is one thing I have always wanted to try and make from scratch it is veggie sausages but I was always scared to do as I've had a few failures in the past when comes to things that require frying. 9 times out of 10 they tend to just fall apart in the pan. However, with the success of my onion bhaji's the other day my confidence was at an all time high so I gave these Glamorgans a go and let me tell you; it was another winner! These cheesy wonders flavored with garlic, chive, thyme and mustard turn veggie bangers and mash into something truly wonderful.

These Glamorgans are not 100% traditional. I've merely taken my inspiration from many of the recipes for these veggie treats that I've seen in many books around my home. If you do want to stick slightly closer to the side of tradition then use a Caerphilly cheese in your sausage but I do understand this may not always be the most accessible cheese for most people. As long as you use a cheese that is easy to grate such as a Cheddar or Cheshire then your sausages will be grand! You can even add extra flavor to your sausage by using a flavored cheese too such as ones containing chili, herbs or even a smoked cheese. 

Experiment with what you can find in your local shops or supermarket and you can create or own special version these gorgeous Glamorgans. The recipe below will create 8 Glamorgans for you, perfect for a family of four or two very hungry peeps!

Veggie Glamorgan Sausages

175g Grated Cheese

225g Panko Breadcrumbs

1 Small Finely Diced Red Onion

2 Grated Garlic Cloves

1 Tsp Finely Chopped Chives

1 Tsp Fresh Thyme Leaves

Salt And Pepper To Season

2 Large Free Range Eggs

70ml Semi Skimmed Milk

1 Tsp Mustard Powder

50g Plain Flour

1 Tsp Paprika

1. Begin by placing the cheese, breadcrumbs, red onion, garlic, chives and thyme in a food processor, season with salt and pepper and blitz until well combined.
2. In a bowl, beat together 1 whole egg, 20ml of milk and the mustard powder until combined and then pour this into the cheesy breadcrumb mixture. Blitz again until everything comes together. The mixture is ready if you can take a handful and shape it into a ball. The ball should hold its shape. If it falls apart, add a few more breadcrumbs and blitz again until the mixture is strong enough to hold its shape when molded.
3. Once the mixture is ready, line a baking tray with grease proof paper and then shape the mixture into 8 sausages around 8 cm in length and 2cm thick. I find just doing this in your hands works great just make sure you have clean and dry hands before shaping each sausage so they don't start sticking to your hands. Place the sausages onto your lined baking tray and leave to one side.
4. Take the remaining egg and milk and beat together until well combined and transfer to a plate. Mix together the flour and paprika until combined and transfer this to a second plate.
5. Now start a chain of sausage dunking by taking each sausage and rolling it in the egg mixture, followed by the paprika flour mixture and then placing the sausage back on the baking tray. Repeat with all the sausages, making sure you wash and dry your hands after each sausage dunking so that the flour doesn't get wet and clumpy.
6. Once you have 8 floured sausages, cover the tray with film and pop them all in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up. Whilst the sausages chill, pop your oven on to 200 degrees (180 fan) and lightly oil a small frying pan and place it over a medium heat.
7. After the chill time, remove the sausages from the fridge and place the sausages two at a time into your frying pan. Fry the sausages on each side for around 1 minute so that they are beginning to brown on each side. Once browned, transfer the sausages to the baking tray and repeat until all the sausages are done.
8. Pop the sausages on the baking tray into the oven and bake for around 20-25, turning each sausages halfway through so the outsides continue to brown evenly.  

The best way to test the sausages are ready is simply just to cut into one and it should be steaming and piping hot inside. Serve your Glamorgans with massive dollops of smooth and creamy mash potato and lashing of gorgeous mushroom and onion gravy. It's a British classic that is totally meat free and having sampled many veggie sausages I can say that these sausages are so plump and full of delicious garlic, thyme and cheesy flavors that you might never look at shop bought ones the same again. Why would you when  you can make these bad boys yourself. In a word; Gorgeous!